Tuesday, March 30, 2021 – The Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) has vowed to never exempt jobless graduates from paying their HELB loans.
This follows the ongoing push to have jobless graduates exempted from being forced to service their school loans until they can secure employment.
Addressing the Education Committee of Parliament, HELB CEO Charles Ringera said the board had no elaborate mechanism of determining who was employed so that they can start furnishing their loans, adding that they only depend on loan beneficiaries’ goodwill.
Ringera vehemently opposed the proposals, saying that it would bar them from those who are self-employed and are doing well enough to pay the loans.
“The proposed amendment is objectionable as it will no doubt weaken HELB’s loan recovery mechanisms,” Ringera said.
HELB further added that passing the proposal would mean that the loanees would only put in minimal effort in looking for employment in a bid to service their loans.
Ringera defended his move, saying the funds work on a rotational basis which means they have to pay so that they can be given to other students who cannot pay their school fees.
The proposal to spare graduates from the pressure of having to pay back the loans regardless of one’s employment status is being pushed by Igembe South MP Paul Mwirigi – Kenya’s youngest MP.
E! News Blog
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